ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · row · shower · patient · bay · tube · stock · root

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. root — the cause
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stock — goods
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tube — a container
  8. shower — rain
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stem — to come from
  13. row — to paddle
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. root — of a word
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stock — shares
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. root — of a plant
  21. tube — the underground
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com